Three men and a juvenile female arrested in Norwood home invasion

NORWOOD — Three men and a juvenile female face years behind bars for their alleged roles in an armed robbery of a drug dealer’s home Sunday night in rural Peoria County.

The victims — a 20-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman — told police they were in bed about 10:50 p.m. Sunday at 7008 W. Lamoine Ave. when they heard the sliding glass door at the rear of the home shatter.

They immediately fled out the bedroom window to a neighbor’s house and called police. Chad R. Smith told police he had been warned earlier that an acquaintance was going to rob him of cash that he had saved from selling drugs.

As Smith and the woman fled, they looked back and saw two armed men in their bedroom and a third man at the rear of the home, according to reports on the incident. Smith said he recognized one of the men in the bedroom as Austin Clark, whom he had been warned was going to rob him.

“Get the (expletive) down,” one of the robbers in the bedroom yelled as the victims fled, a report on the incident stated.

Taken from the home was a bag with $2,300 cash, several hats together valued at $510, a cell phone and a purse, the victims told deputies from the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office who responded to the scene. They saw a dark-colored sport utility vehicle flee from the scene.

Police saw the suspect vehicle on Farmington Road and initiated a traffic stop after it turned onto Maxwell Road near the Interstate 474 spur and Peoria County Jail. As soon as the SUV stopped, three males fled out the passenger side into an adjacent bean field.

Taken into custody in the field were Eric J. Sullivan Jr., 21, of 2854 Wiswall St. and Michael J. Walder, 18, of 2401 N. Gale Ave. The juvenile female driver of the SUV did not flee and was taken into custody at the vehicle. The third male escaped.

Inside the SUV, police found the hats and purse taken from the Norwood home, as well as a shotgun and a handgun.

Clark, 19, of 3512 W. Yorkshire Ave. was later taken into custody at 1035 S. Gomo St.

The men and juvenile female were arrested on charges of home invasion, armed robbery, mob action and unlawful use of weapons. Sullivan and Walder each have been ordered held on $125,000 bond. Clark was ordered held on $150,000 bond. Clark and Walder also have holds placed on them from the Illinois Department of Corrections. All three remained in custody Thursday.

Matt Buedel can be reached at 686-3154 or mbuedel@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @JournoBuedel.